Beginner’s Guide To Halifax, Nova Scotia

Beginners Guide to Halifax
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Jenn: Hey everyone, welcome back to the Travel Mug Podcast. Today, we want to take some time and talk about a place that we have both called home, and Meggan still calls home, which is Halifax, Nova Scotia, if you don't know. So, we did a Halifax episode, I think it was our first episode

Meggan: second

Jenn: second episode, um, four years ago.

So we are updating, adding some new things. We got new things to tell you about, and we love doing these beginners guides. So we thought it would be a good time to do one on Halifax. So let's dive in. right in time for summer travel. So first, it's always good to start with a little bit of history of the city, a little brief history.

So first of all, Nova Scotia is unceded Mi'kmaq territory and the Mi'kmaq name for Halifax is Kjipuktuk, which means great harbor. And if you've visited, you know, we do have a great harbor.

Meggan: that is true.

Jenn: That is true. As European presence increased, unfortunately, many of the Mi'kmaq people died because they had no immunity to, European diseases.

That had a devastating effect, of course. on the population of Mi'kmaq people. The British government sponsored the first settlement plan in 1746, and at that time there was an abundance of cod, and they wanted to offset the presence of the French military in Louisbourg, which we've talked about the Fortress of Louisbourg quite a few times on this podcast in our Cape Breton episodes.

Halifax also has a long history as a naval base. During both the World Wars, it served as an excellent location for ally ships to retrieve supplies or to anchor until they were able to safely cross the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. However, in December of 1917, two ships collided in the city's harbor and created one of the largest man made explosions prior to the detonation of the first atomic bombs in 1945.

Which is wild. Of course, a lot of Halifax was destroyed. 2, 000 people died. Another 9, 000 people were maimed or blinded. And 25, 000 people were left without adequate shelter. It was December. It, there was a snowstorm the next day. Just because.

Um,

Meggan: Why not?

Jenn: Right, I think it would be really interesting to know what Halifax would look like today if the Halifax explosion hadn't occurred, and that really hit home for me when we went to Boston last year, um, and it's like, wow, probably our city could look a lot like Boston and have all these beautiful old buildings if they hadn't been destroyed, so.

It is interesting. There are still some buildings that survived the explosion. So today, Halifax is still an important Canadian forces base, and Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia. It's the biggest city in Atlantic Canada, and as of 2021, the last census, the population of Halifax was 439, 819. I left, Ryan and I left after that, so I'm 817.

However,

Meggan: usually all those people are in Bayers Lake on a Sunday.

Jenn: yes, every single one of them is at Costco. it has been steadily growing though, um, over the past, uh, while. So obviously this was a super brief history, but if you're looking to learn more while you're here, I highly suggest visiting the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Halifax Citadel, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and the Africville Museum to give you a good idea of the history of Halifax.

Oh,

Meggan: Those are really great tips because we can't tell you at all. It's not as fun to read about it on the internet, but to see it for yourself in those important places would be really cool. So great tips. Now, how to get here. So let's talk about that. And you can get, of course, to Halifax in a few different ways. Most obvious way is by arriving at our international airport, aptly named Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Halifax also has a big cruise ship industry. The season runs from April until early November. Ships dock right in our harbour, which is one of the deepest and largest ice free harbours in the world. You can get off the cruise ship without having to take a tender from your ship. So it's super easy peasy, get off your ship, there you are. I love that. driving, of course, is an option. However, keep in mind, Nova Scotia can only be accessed directly from New Brunswick in a car or a bus or whatever. So if you are coming from the U. S., you will need to drive through New Brunswick and then head into Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is not an island. you can arrive in Nova Scotia by a ferry, of course. We've talked about this just recently, of course, from Prince Edward Island or via the ferry from Bar Harbor, Maine. You can arrive as a walk on or bring your car. Do keep in mind the ferry docks from Bar Harbor in Yarmouth. So if you don't have a car,

Jenn: you won't be making it to Halifax. Yeah.

Meggan: will just be visiting Yarmouth. So please, please keep that in mind. One thing we should mention about downtown Halifax in regards to transportation is that parking. isn't great. Uh, plus there is ongoing construction projects, one that is really major right now. There are of course parking garages such as Scotia Square and Purdy's on the waterfront to name a couple. Uh, but it is something to keep in mind as it can be a big source of frustration, like Haligonians sometimes just choose not to go downtown because of parking. But just keep it in mind if you prepare, know where the parking garages are, understand those things, you won't have any issues. It's just something. You know, to keep it in the top of the cap there.

So

Jenn: Yeah. We definitely prefer to just pay for parking in a parking garage rather than driving around to try to find street parking most of the time, because it is a pain in the butt.

Meggan: It is, it is. Yes, indeed. Now, if you come to Halifax, obviously getting here is one thing, but Jenn, what are some ideas about where to stay?

Jenn: Yes. So, there are tons of options depending on what you want to do. However, I highly recommend getting a hotel in downtown Halifax because that's where all the action is for the most part. Now that necessarily won't be cheap, of course but a few of my favorites that i've personally stayed in have been the Halifax Marriott Harborfront, The Barrington Hotel, and the Cambridge Suites, all of which put you within walking distance of a lot of the things that we're going to talk about that you can do.

Um, prices do, of course, tend to get cheaper the further away from downtown you go. So if you're willing to drive and brave the parking situation, you could probably save yourself a little bit of money, although you might spend it on parking. So it's one of those.

Meggan: Balance that out. And one thing that Halifax surprisingly doesn't have a lot of in our downtown core are like, Inns or bed and breakfast. Like we don't have a ton of those really. There are some Airbnbs. There's a lot of restrictions here, thankfully due to the housing crisis around that, there are some that you can find.

So that could be another option, but really it is that or hotels. There's not a lot of other options in the downtown core.

Jenn: No. Yeah. There's a lot of chain hotels, so they're, I mean, they are what they are and they put you in a good spot, um, but they're not cheap. So,

Meggan: No. Now let's talk about like things that people can see or do. So why don't you kick us off with, uh, the first thing we want to talk about in terms of, you know, you're downtown. What are you going to do down

Jenn: yeah. So one of my, this is one of my favorite things. I love the public gardens. So it is a beautiful historic gardens. It's on the corner of Spring Garden Road and Summer Street. You can take a stroll through, you can sit on a bench. Sometimes there's live music. There's usually lots of people around. It's just a really great, Place. And of course, it's always nice to get a little bit of nature in the city.

Meggan: It is for sure. That's where Peter and I went on our first date.

Jenn: Oh, sweet.

Meggan: So precious. So precious. All those many moons ago. so as we've already talked about, Halifax is pretty historic. One of the things that people could do, which you referenced earlier, is visit Citadel Hill. So it is a national historic site, which overlooks downtown Halifax. The strategic location was used by the British to protect the Halifax Harbor. It is a hill essentially. And now you can tour it for yourself. You can be transported back to 1869. And don't forget there is a noon gun. So be prepared for the jolt if you are close by. I used to work downtown. It was my indication that it was lunchtime, which I loved it for that reason, but just something to keep in mind so that the pants aren't scared off you completely, but it's a really beautiful site. It's super historic. , and it's got a great view of the city at the very least.

Jenn: Yes, it definitely does. You can, walk it on your own. They also do some like guided tours and they do a ghost tour as well in the evenings and the ghost tours also quite fun. So lots of options there. So you simply have to visit the waterfront boardwalk in Halifax. You just have to. It's one of those things. So there's numerous shops along the boardwalk. Grab an ice cream or maybe a drink from the beer garden. It's perfect for people watching. And if you happen to be getting, be visiting at the beginning of August. We do have a Buskers Festival that takes place on the boardwalk.

There's Buskers that come from around the world. It's usually a pretty popular event and it's really fun. So, uh, definitely if you happen to be here in the beginning of August, that's a good thing to check out.

Meggan: Definitely. I used to go down there on my lunch break. They have like Adirondack chairs lined up as well along the board, the boardwalk. So if you just want to take a seat and overlook the water, people are usually out there , boating or seadoing, so you can take all that in as well. So it's just really nice down there.

Jenn: Yeah. I think it's like a good spot to like, Just kind of relax to you and like take it all in. It's like just a good place to be. I

Meggan: Yeah, no, definitely.

Jenn: However, I would not recommend getting in the water there. The only people you see getting in the water are tourists and the locals are cringing. It's,

Meggan: mean, it was worse a few years ago, but still not recommended.

Jenn: clean in quotation marks.

So keep that in mind. I know.

Meggan: can do, which actually is downtown, just at the end of the boardwalk, is the Halifax Seaport Farmer's Market. So if you want to see what the locals get up to on the weekends, you can definitely head there. You'll see a lot of locals there. So it is a farmer's market. It takes place on Saturday and Sunday, but of course, Saturday is typically the big day you will find local produce, crafts, food vendors, practically anything you can think of.

The energy is great. I really love going. It's something I rarely do because again, I don't get downtown as much, but when I go, I'm always like, this was really nice. It's very crowded, but somehow I enjoy it.

Jenn: Yeah, there's usually like someone playing guitar, some like live music, and it is nice to just kind of like grab a coffee and walk around and get some local stuff. I, I do love it. We didn't go very much either because we lived, quite a bit out of the downtown of Halifax. But, uh, Yeah, it was nice. I uh, I enjoyed it.

Meggan: Indeed, and nearby to the public gardens, like you've mentioned, right off of the public gardens is Spring Garden Road. So along Spring Garden Road is another place we would recommend. There are great shops, restaurants, coffee shops, people watching. And if you take a turn off of Spring Garden and stroll onto another street, you're going to find other shops and quaint areas in the city.

It's a really busy district overall, and a lot of people flock there. Again, keep in mind the parking, but there actually are a couple of garages in the area where you can park and get out and enjoy it. So, definitely some great restaurants and things to check out there. You can even park your car there, walk down Spring Garden, and then head to the waterfront as well.

So you can sort of do all of that in one day. Nothing in the downtown core is too far from itself.

Jenn: Not really. No, you can, you can walk, you can park and walk. We definitely do. So if you want to do some more shopping, we do have several options in the Halifax Regional Municipality. So the Halifax Shopping Center is like a pretty big shopping mall as well as the MicMac mall. Which is on the Dartmouth side.

We also have Bayers Lake and Dartmouth crossing, which are a little bit more of a, uh, shopping industrial park type situation. Uh, and then there's the North end shops, which tend to be like a little bit more mom and pop shops as well, as well as the Hydrostone market . So everything you could want, you can find.

Meggan: Yes, definitely. , now, if you were downtown and you've probably planned ahead because you likely should book this in advance. One of the activities you can do is the Harbor Hopper. So have you ever been on a truck that becomes a boat? I mean, if you haven't, this is your opportunity to do so. So hop on, ha ha, the Harbor Hopper to get a tour of the city around the streets, and then it drives into the water and you get to see Halifax from there. Have you done this tour, Jenn?

Jenn: Yeah, we did it in the summer of 2020, the summer of COVID, when we had to wear a mask outside. But

Meggan: Oh, that must have been fun!

Jenn: fun! But the tour was really fun, like, it was really interesting, and I learned things about the city that I had been living in for, you know, I think 13 years at that point. So

Meggan: know.

Jenn: something to learn.

Meggan: I thought the same thing. I'm like, how did I not know all these like fun facts? But I guess that's the point of the tour. But I also, I've done it. Two or three times, I think. And every time I'm just like, all of these facts are so cool. My friends and I were actually just talking about today. One of them has never been on it. We're like, we must Harbor Hopper this summer.

Jenn: Yeah. It's like a rite of passage. I feel like everyone who lives there should at least once do the Harbor Hop, plus the part where you just drive into the water is like really weird, but really fun too.

Meggan: It's not really something you do often. So when you're there, you're like, this seems not right.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: All right. Where to next?

Jenn: Point Pleasant Park. So it is a 75 hectare wooded area in the south end of Halifax. It's a really great place for a walk. A lot of people bring their dogs. And there is the Prince of Wales Tower, the oldest Martello Tower in North America. Martello Towers, if you don't know, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century. So it is a really fun park and again, a lot of locals and a really great place to spend a sunny summer afternoon.

Meggan: Yeah, it's lovely. Like you, it's so big. You can literally kind of get lost in there. Like, where am I? What trail did I take? But it's really enjoyable. And during the hurricane, um, in the early 2000s, we lost so so many trees there. I didn't go back for so long because it was quite heartbreaking, but it's not quite as devastating to go back now, but it is a really lovely spot.

You're right on the water. Take a picnic blanket and a picnic if you want. It's it's really, really enjoyable. ,

located in the Halifax Commons, so sort of middle of the city, but up from the harbour, you can actually find the Halifax Oval. Essentially you can do skating in the winter and roller skating in the summer. They provide the equipment, from what I understand, you can actually get that there. I don't skate, but I have gone and roller skated. Um, As a woman in her 40s that's really tall and awkward, um, it was terrifying. I loved roller skating when I was a kid. I had my own roller skates. I lived on them. So however, as you get older, you get more scared of stuff. So it was terrifying, but quite exhilarating and I didn't fall. So I, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Jenn: That's funny. I've done the ice skating. I have not done the roller skating, but it is, it's a, it's a fun time. We went one year for New Year's Eve and, uh, it was really fun. They did, um, like hot chocolate and skating and fireworks and. It was cool. So you can also on the waterfront, take a ferry to and from Dartmouth, , which is across the water. Of course, you can also rent jet skis, um, or kayaks right there. And, um, maybe you don't want to do the Harbor Hopper. You can see the city from the water yourself that way. I can't remember how much the ferry to Dartmouth is now.

Meggan: I don't know. either. I'm going to do a quick Google right

Jenn: a little live Google right here. 25? I

Meggan: The bridge is like a 1. 50,

Jenn: 75.

Meggan: I don't know either. So one ride is actually 2. 75 for an adult. If

Jenn: And I don't think our transit takes any type of card. Like, you have to have cash at this point.

Meggan: it's looking for modern technology, we don't have

Jenn: We don't have that.

Meggan: Now, Think it's coming, but I don't think we have it, so do have your, your, your toonie and your quarters ready.

Jenn: Yes. Yeah.

Meggan: Now, before we, um, move on to something new, we do, of course, want to talk about nearby destinations to consider. It would really be a shame to spend all of your trip here just in Halifax, so renting a car, , could be a possibility if it is for you. We highly suggest maybe heading to Peggy's Cove to see the world famous lighthouse, stay off the black rocks. , we also recommend, Lunenburg and Mahone Bay. Uh, you could go tidal bore rafting at Shubenacadie or find a nearby beach to relax at, such as Queensland or Lawrence Town Beach, just to name a few.

There are many beaches around, so you can definitely do some research and check that out. Um, all of these suggestions are easy day or even morning or afternoon trips from Halifax and Dartmouth. And we just want to mention, like, don't spend all your time in town if you can and have the ability to get outside. Again, you don't have to go for long and you can see some really cool stuff.

Jenn: Yeah. Definitely. So let's talk about sports because we actually have quite a few here in Halifax. So we'll start with the Mooseheads, which is a Quebec major junior hockey league team. The season is September until March. They're fun games. I've definitely gotten to quite a few. , then we have the Halifax Wanderers, which is a men's soccer Canadian Premier League team. Their season is April through October. Actually, I haven't been to a Wanderers game, but it is on my list for the summer. So I'm going to check that off. The Halifax Thunderbirds is a professional lacrosse team and their season is short. It is December through the end of February. We've gone to quite a few lacrosse games and, uh, I've become a big fan of lacrosse and I knew absolutely nothing going into my first game. but it's a really fun environment. So if you happen to be here between December and April, which is not our recommended time to visit, but.

Meggan: Right.

Jenn: Very fun. And then we have the Halifax Thunder and the Halifax Hornets, which is the Maritimes Women's Basketball Teams, and their season is May and June each year. So, lots of stuff

Meggan: Halifax Thunder are like number one in the Maritimes. So these are things I didn't know, but I love to hear.

Jenn: All right, Meggan, let's talk about our favorite subject,

Meggan: Food.

Jenn: food.

Meggan: Hello, I actually, uh, ran into someone, who wanted to come to Halifax and one of their first questions was like, specifically, where should I eat? So not just a generalization, but they actually wanted some recommendations. So tune into this next section, because we've picked some specifics, but there's way more than this. And we recently had the restaurant association. of Nova Scotia on the podcast to discuss Halifax unique and diverse food scene. And again, there's no way to possibly list all of the amazing spots. We likely won't mention yours. Don't come at us. It's okay. Just suggest it on the social media. , and you have everything here from fine dining at steakhouses like Chop to getting a greasy but amazing donair on pizza corner.

Like we literally have it all. And we did pick a few specifically to talk about that either we visited ourselves or have heard great things about. But again, to do your research, there's something to meet your tastes. One of the ones I wanted to discuss that you're hearing a lot of buzz about is called the Highwayman. It is a Spanish inspired restaurant. With great drinks, apparently award winning bartender. Um, and it is located on Barrington street in downtown Halifax. I have not been there, but it's definitely on our list. It's come highly recommended from another restauranteur. So I thought, I guess I'll take that suggestion. You have that on our list to check out one. I have been to is the canteen. , this is located on Portland Street in Dartmouth. So go to the waterfront, catch the ferry. It's a really quick walk from there. That's how I actually visited myself. It's creative, fun, seasonal food. Uh, you can visit for brunch, lunch and dinner. , the food there is, is really top notch, so I'd highly recommend there.

Jenn: Yes, I haven't been there, but it is on my list. Now, somewhere I have been, and Meggan and I have been together, which is, we've not been to that many restaurants together, but we have been to this one, which is Almanak, so it's on Almon Street in Halifax. It's like elevated breakfast, lunch. Brunch vibes. Our food was like pretty good. We all, um, had really good food there. So I would highly recommend making a reservation because they were very busy.

Meggan: Yes, indeed. And they were ready for us to leave so they could move the table along.

Jenn: True, true. So next up is, Bicycle Thief and Sketti and Ball. We're going to kind of roll these into one, but they're, both like Italian style restaurants. The Bicycle Thief is, , popular, it is pricey, but very good. Sketti and Ball, both of us have been there, not together, but separately. It's new, it's an Italian restaurant on Argyle Street, and trust us, get the mozza sticks.

They are, they're named the biggest mozza sticks you've ever seen, and they are the biggest mozza sticks I have ever seen.

Meggan: But they also, like, taste really good. You've had mozza before where you're just kind of like, this didn't taste like anything. these ones are

Jenn: So good.

I'm gonna start drooling like thinking about them.

Meggan: Yeah, and a lot of people, like, post about them on social media, and you're like, sure, sure, but then you're like, oh,

Jenn: Oh, yeah, you get the cheese pull and you're like, yes, please. So next up is my personal favorite spot in Halifax, which is the Black Sheep. I like to go for brunch, but they are open for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Be sure to make a reservation. They are busy. They're on lower water street And they have what they call locally sourced and globally inspired dishes and in the summer They have a really great rooftop patio, but oh, I love their brunch. It's my my usual pick

Meggan: something a little different is Mary's African Cuisine. It's actually located on Barrington Street. It's truly authentic African food experience. Mary comes from a long line of female food entrepreneurs, has over 30 years of experience. If you are looking for something that's not your typical restaurant that we've sort of mentioned, I would definitely recommend there. And one of my favourites that I kind of wanted to end off on the savoury note is, uh, A long time favorite and it's award winning as well and that's Darrell's restaurant on Fenwick Street . It's a classic burger joint. They win a lot of sort of coast awards. If you go, I highly recommend trying the peanut butter burger. And a milkshake, you will not be disappointed. I haven't been in a long time. I used to live in the South end. So it was kind of a staple and like I could just drool thinking of it. So definitely recommend Darrell's restaurant on Fenwick street.

Jenn: right, so if you are ready for something sweet after all of those Restaurants, we could suggest Vandal's Donuts on Gottagen Street or Antoinette's Cheesecake on the Bedford Highway. And also in Dartmouth at Baker Drive. Um, get the classic, Nova Scotia classic, Moon Mist Cheesecake. You gotta try Moon Mist.

Are you a Moon Mist fan, Meggan?

Meggan: It's my fave. It's

Jenn: Is it?

Meggan: I, yes, Moon Mist is my favorite ice cream and the Moon Mist cheesecake at Antoinette's tastes just like it. And so therefore I also recommend not leaving town without finding somewhere that sells Moon Mist ice cream. So. It's hard to describe. It's like banana, grape, and bubblegum, and I know that sounds like

atrocious, but it's so good.

And if I find it somewhere that's like an actual dairy treat like style restaurant, I usually get it in a dish with hot fudge on it just to like, mess it up even more. And it's so good.

Jenn: There you go. I really don't like banana. So, I love the idea of Moon Mist. It is so pretty. The colors together look so great. But, uh, my hate for banana really holds me back. Yeah.

Meggan: Understood. so Of course, we would be remiss if we didn't mention pubs. So, we have lots of pubs in Halifax and Dartmouth, so if that's more your thing, you're going to have a lot to choose from all over, uh, both sides of the bridge. Plus, in the summer, there are beer gardens every 20 paces. And we also have wine bars as well, including Obladi downtown. I have been there. It's good. So, there's lots of options for that. And Don't fear. If you aren't looking to eat outside of your comfort zone, there are restaurant chains that are readily available in both Bayer's Lake Business Park and Dartmouth Crossing, where there are subsequently a lot of box stores as well.

So if you do want to shop and grab a bite to eat, you can do it there. So your Jack Astor's, your Eastside Mario's, your Moxie's, those types of things are definitely available. So there's lots of options all over the city, regardless of what you are into.

Jenn: All right, so some fun facts, of course we have to bring in the fun facts. So did you know Halifax is closer to Dublin, Ireland than it is to Victoria, British Columbia, which is in our own country.

Meggan: I know. I mean, and I don't know how you don't know Dan from downtown Toronto. You're from Canada.

Jenn: it

Meggan: This country is so enormous. It's hard to wrap your brain around.

Jenn: is. So the Halifax ferry that we've mentioned that takes people from Halifax to Dartmouth and vice versa is the oldest saltwater passenger ferry in North America, which is interesting. And our Halifax waterfront boardwalk is One of the world's longest continuous boardwalks. It's four kilometers long, which is quite far.

And then in 1912, victims of the ill fated Titanic were brought to Halifax, and there are actually over 150 burial sites of victims from the Titanic in Halifax cemeteries. , one thing we didn't mention, Meggan and I actually did a ghost tour together. Quite a few years ago now, probably four years ago, and, uh, so they talked quite a bit about the, the Titanic and how, um, people were brought here and where they were brought.

So, I will, uh, put a link in the show notes to the ghost tour that we did because it was a really interesting tour. And finally, the Halifax Citadel is Canada's most visited National Historic Site. Which is really interesting.

Meggan: Look at us go.

Jenn: Thank you so much for tuning in today. I hope you enjoyed this Beginner's Guide to Halifax.

Uh, if you're, if you're new here, we do have several other Beginner's Guides. Uh, including London, England, New York City, P. E. I., Paris, Paris. France, Disney, and more. So you can go check those out. You can follow us on social media at TravelMugPodcast and on our website, TravelMugPodcast. com. You can support the show through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a review or simply sharing the show with a travel loving pal.

We love that. So until next time, bye!

Meggan: Bye!